Krystal's First Krystmas
by general whitefur
Summary: Krystal helps Katt with delivering the perfect Christmas present, and Fox finds something to keep Krystal pointed in the right direction. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!


_**KRYSTAL'S FIRST KRYSTMAS**_

_**A**_

_**STAR FOX STORY**_

Krystal shivered and burrowed deeper under her blankets. She had two quilts, plus several regular blankets covering her. Fox had even put a space heater in her room to keep it extra toasty. Except it wasn't enough.

When she was a little girl, Krystal had always found the distant snow caps of mountains beautiful. She had been ecstatic the year her parents had taken her on a day trip up Seroia mountain to sled and make snow foxes. It had been cold but exotic; an adventure.

This, on the other hand, was just plain awful. It had been snowing for two full days in Corneria City now. Wind shook the dormant branches of the tree in Fox's backyard. Just looking out the frosted window made her teeth chatter.

It didn't help matters that her body, still tuned to Cerinian seasons, thought it was the middle of high summer. Her coat had shed to its thinnest level, leaving her prone to chills at even the slightest gust of wind from outside.

Whimpering, she looked at the time on the digital clock on the bedside stand.

_8:00 A.M. _

"Breakfast! Come and get it!"

Krystal's muzzle curled in a smile, earlier hopelessness evaporating in an instant. Right on time. Of course, that meant getting out of her relatively warm bed.

"Pancakes, eggs, bacon, and waffles! Take your pick or choose the works while supplies last!"

The smells began to waft up the stairs into her room. Krystal's stomach growled and she threw off the covers before she could think twice about it. Her teeth immediately began chattering and her body shivered from the tips of her ears to the bottoms of her toes. And this, despite all the flannel pajamas Fox had gotten her. She grabbed her robe and pulled it tight around her, then got out the door before her desire to retreat back into bed with the extra layer of clothing became impossible to deny.

"Morning Krystal."

Krystal stiffened and turned to see Slippy emerge from his own room down the hall. "No."

"Huh?"

Krystal bolted and thundered down the stairs. She hooked a left around the corner and into the kitchen, and then came to a sliding halt that ended when she grabbed onto the edge of the center island to keep from toppling over.

Fox, standing in an apron that said, 'It'll be Ready when it's Ready', looked at her and said, "Slippy?"

"Yes."

Fox chuckled. "The man does love his breakfast food." Motioning to the steaming plates laid out across the island Fox said, "What would you like?"

"The works."

"Hungry?"

"Famished."

Fox nodded. "The works it is. Kettle is done if you want tea. Coffee is also available."

"I'll have tea." Krystal walked over to the kettle, grabbed a mug and a tea bag, and poured for herself.

"Morning," Slippy said.

"Slippy! I'm afraid Krystal has already laid claim to the works," Fox said. "Pancakes, eggs, and bacon are still ready to go though."

"Okay." Slippy sat himself down in the chair attached to the island and licked his lips as Fox set a plate down in front of him.

Krystal grabbed her own plate and went to sit in front of the TV. She flicked it on with the remote and said, "Where are the cartoons?"

"Channel 63."

"Right." Krystal took a moment to find the right buttons, then changed the channel. Cornerian numbers were a lot simpler than the ones she'd grown up with on Cerinia, but she was still getting the hang of them.

"Food."

Krystal turned to watch as Falco entered the kitchen, wearing boxer shorts and a tank top, and rubbing red feather rimmed eyes.

"Not in your current state."

"What are you talkin' about? I'm starved."

Fox took the spatula he was using to mix more pancake batter and pointed to a sign on the fridge. _No pants, no service._

"Stupid freaking sign. I'll be right back," Falco grumbled.

"How can he not be cold?" Krystal wondered.

"He is," Fox said. "He just won't admit it. He wore shorts one day in elementary school, then got into a fight on the playground because someone asked him why he was shivering."

"That says a lot about him," Krystal said.

"All you need to know."

Krystal turned her attention to her breakfast and the TV. The waffles were nice and crunchy, and Fox swooped in with heated syrup for her. She smiled and said, "Butter?"

"On its way."

When he returned Krystal started spreading butter on the waffles and asked, "Why is a talking sponge funny?"

"Good question. Slippy?"

Slippy shrugged. "It just is."

Krystal watched as the sapient sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea on Aquas flipped burgers and ignored the badgering of a balding squid. "Fair enough."

Falco returned, properly attired. "Food."

"Say please."

"Screw you, Fox."

"Aww, that wasn't the magic word."

Krystal watched the two of them. On the surface it seemed like each of them hated the other. They were always sparring, sniping, and complaining about the other. Yet Krystal had the advantage of a well honed sense of empathy, not to mention her telepathic abilities. She could quite literally see, feel, almost taste the bond that kept the two of them orbiting the other. Fox, the stable sun, and Falco the rogue comet, sometimes drifting away, but in the end always returning to that same stable, reliable orbit. Having met Falco's on again off again girlfriend, Katt Monroe, she could confidently say that all of Falco's relationships followed that same astronomical pattern.

"Dude, I'm hungry."

"Cereal is in the cupboard."

"You're gonna make me eat cereal when there's a billion pancakes sitting there?" Falco crossed his arms.

"Only if you don't say the magic word." Fox was glowing with mirth on the inside. From the outside he hadn't so much as let his lips twitch. His expression remained that of an unimpressed parent, or perhaps older sibling. Fiora, her sister, had only been a year older than Krystal, but she had had that expression down pat.

"Give. Me. Food."

"Give me food what?"

"Goddamn it I'll eat the fucking cereal!" Falco threw his arms up in the air.

"Pancakes are ready when you change your mind."

Krystal watched as Falco went to the cupboard to find the cereal. This was more interesting than any cartoon.

Falco opened up the pantry cupboard and rummaged around. Then he turned to Fox and said, "Plain Oats? Not honey Oats?"

"You like plain, right?"

"I friggin' hate plain!"

"Huh."

Falco steamed, and then slammed the cupboard shut, paced for a few moments, and then bit out through his beak, "Can I have some pancakes, eggs, and bacon, please?"

"Say pretty please."

"I will kill you."

Fox finally relented. With a big grin on his face he said, "I mean if you want it so bad I really can't say no."

Falco snatched his plate and said, "I don't know why I ever said I wanted to hang with you again."

"Because no one else will hang out with you," Fox riposted.

Falco glared, then said, "Katt."

"When she's in a good mood."

Falco considered it, then nodded. "Yeah. I can't even argue with that. Temperamental doesn't even begin to cover it with her."

"Rough night last week?"

"Last night."

"You were home last night."

"Holograms exist buddy," Falco answered, sitting down next to Krystal.

"And there goes my appetite."

"How is Katt?" Krystal asked.

"Out system," Falco replied. "Some mission."

Krystal frowned. "She'll miss Christmas."

"Yeah." Falco shrugged, but it did nothing to hide from Krystal how much it bothered Falco that his girlfriend would miss spending the holidays with him.

Krystal glanced over at Fox. He met her gaze and shrugged. What could they do? She didn't have a clue, but, as she turned back to her waffles she knew she had to do something.

/\/\/\/\

Fox set his scarf down on the table in the diner. Across from him Peppy already had his coffee. The waitress bot would be by soon to get the rest of their order.

"Ready for Christmas?" Peppy asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be." Fox frowned, thinking of the one person whose gift he hadn't decided on yet. What did you get for someone who had never celebrated the holiday before? Hadn't even heard of it until a few weeks ago?

"That's the best we can hope for sometimes," Peppy said with a chuckle. "Your father used to drive himself nuts this time of year."

"I remember." Fox thought back to when his father had been alive. "He stapled himself to the roof once doing the lights."

"And then nearly broke his back climbing down the ladder." Peppy shook his head. "Best damn pilot there ever was. Helluva a fighter too. But between missions the man was an absolute menace of a klutz."

Fox wagged his tail as more memories rose to the surface. Happy ones of his dad cursing at dishwashers and stubbing his toe on flat surfaces. He remembered how his mother would howl with laughter whenever it happened. After she...passed Fox had started doing the same. It had always made his dad smile.

"Can I take your order?"

Fox nearly jumped out of his fur when he heard the metallic voice. He looked up and saw the waitress droid hovering in front of their table. "Chicken sandwich, lightly toasted sourdough, potato chips, and a coffee."

"Lettuce and tomato on rye," Peppy said. "And top me off for coffee."

"You got it," the robot said, then whizzed away.

"So," Fox said, "You are still gonna host this year, right?"

"Planning on it." Peppy nodded. "I'll host until I retire. Then it'll be your turn."

"When are you gonna retire?"

"Soon." Peppy took a sip of his coffee, then added, "I mean it. Viv and I are talking more about it."

"I believe you." He did. But he knew Peppy knew as well as him that the hare had been promising to retire 'soon' for years now. Peppy's wife Vivian had been enormously patient over the years. It helped that she'd known Vixy and James so well. She knew what it was like, and she knew how Peppy felt about keeping an eye on Fox.

"Finished all your shopping?" Peppy asked him.

"Almost. That's actually what I wanted to see you about," Fox admitted.

"And here I thought you just liked my company," Peppy teased.

Fox chuckled. "I do enjoy it, old timer, but I also enjoy your advice."

"You must, for how long you've put up with it." Peppy leaned forward. "What can I help you with?"

"Krystal."

"Ah." Peppy nodded and rubbed his mustache. "I had a feeling."

"It's just, she's never done Christmas before."

"She isn't exactly culturally prepared to celebrate it," Peppy mentioned.

Fox snorted. "Neither am I if we're treating this like a religious holiday."

"Fair enough."

"I just don't know what to get her," Fox said.

"What does she like?"

"Good question." Fox frowned.

"Here's another one," Peppy said. "How do you think all of this makes her feel? How would you feel, being on a new planet, new holiday, new people, all at once?"

"Lost."

"Then the best gift you can get her," Peppy said, "Is something to make her feel a little less lost."

"Like what?"

Peppy chuckled, then smiled as the food arrived. Fox's mouth started to water at the smell. "Something to get her pointed in the right direction."

Fox thought about it, biting into his chicken sandwich and wagging his tail. Then a thought came to mind. "Hey, is that antique shop on 45th and Main still open?"

"Was last time I checked," Peppy said.

"Good." Fox smiled. "I have the perfect idea."

/\/\/\/\

"Krystal? To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Krystal smiled at the image of Katt on her computer screen. She had met the pink feline shortly after arriving on Corneria, and they'd hit it off immediately. With the exception of Fox, Krystal felt like Katt was probably her closest friend these days. "Where are you?"

"Oh, out and about," Katt replied. "Why?"

"Falco misses you," Krystal told her.

"Awww. That's sweet."

Krystal frowned. "Katt, whatever you're out and about doing can't be more important than him."

Katt snorted. "Tell him that."

"What?"

"Falco and I have our separate lives. We're happy when our paths cross but, honey, this is part of the game," Katt explained.

"Katt..."

"I know, I know. Relationships aren't a game, but think about who you're talking to?"

Something behind Katt caught Krystal's eye. She hid a smile. "Someone whose a terrible liar."

"I'll try not to be insulted."

"Katt, you are sitting in your apartment right now, aren't you?"

"What makes you say that?"

"The sliding glass door you're not quite covering," Krystal told her, smug.

"Dammit," Katt sighed. "Okay girl, the gig is up. I need your help."

"Tell me what to do."

/\/\/\/\

According to Cornerian tradition everyone had to be asleep by a certain time so that a very large polar bear could squeeze down the chimney and deliver gifts. Krystal had asked Fox where this tradition came from, but his answer had been...vague at best. Apparently people around here celebrated it mainly because they always had. No one was sure when it had started, but no one wanted it to end. Krystal accepted this. Cerinia had been full of ancient traditions, the origins of which could never be definitively determined. It was a sign of an ancient and venerable culture.

Krystal, however, was still awake. She had to be in order to help Katt bring her plan to fruition. Checking the digital clock next to her bed she braced herself to throw off the blankets and tiptoe downstairs to the back door.

Holding her robe and arms close to her body, trying to keep in as much heat as possible, Krystal walked by the brightly lit and festively decorated tree, and then peeked out the window. She smiled at the sight of Pinky's running lights. Katt was here.

A soft knock sounded on the back door and Krystal turned the latch and opened it. "God dang it is frickin freezing out there," Katt grumbled, hustling in. Pinky floated above her with a tiny space heater attached to his underbelly.

"How can you be cold with that coat?" Krystal asked. Katt was wearing a big, thick trench coat.

"Come on, I'll show you. How long until they're awake?" Katt asked.

"About half an hour. I reset Falco's clock. He'll be the first down."

"Good. He never could resist stockings," Katt replied. She reached into her coat pocket and went over to Falco's stocking. It was a massive tube sock with no decorations. It was, however, bigger than any of the others. It said a great deal about Falco's priorities for the holidays. Katt stuffed an oversized bag of sunflower seeds inside, along with a dirty magazine that...

"Katt, is that magazine all pictures of you?" Krystal asked, feeling heat coming to her ears.

"Of course it is. Made it and printed it myself. I'm the ho ho ho for his holiday." Katt looked very proud of her joke. Krystal did her best to giggle. "Oh loosen up."

"I'm plenty loose," Krystal sniped back.

"Really? Then why isn't Foxy boy keeping you warm tonight?" Katt responded, a devilish gleam in her eyes.

"That...we aren't...not yet!"

"Not yet?"

Krystal clamped her muzzle shut.

Katt sighed. "Oh whatever. Look, you better go back upstairs. You don't want Falco catching you down here. He'll complain."

"He complains about everything."

"True."

"What is this gift you're getting him though?"

"Oh. Right." Katt looked at Pinky. "This might be the part where you leave the heater on auto and go into standby."

Pinky blatted.

"I know you think this is a really crass thing to do. Deal with it."

Pinky blatted again.

"I love you, too."

Krystal raised an eyebrow. Pinky shut himself off after depositing the space heater. "What exactly did you get him?"

Katt let the trench coat fall to the ground. Krystal gasped, but they were both lucky she didn't screech. The pink feline stood there with nothing but red ribbon keeping her decent. Katt grinned and sang, "Ho ho ho."

/\/\/\/\

Fox yawned and stretched his arms above his head. He glanced at the clock. It was a bit early, but he figured he might as well get breakfast going. Everyone would be awake soon enough anyway.

Stepping out of bed he got into his bathrobe and rubbed his eyes, then headed downstairs. He walked by the tree, admiring the lights for a moment. He didn't remember Katt being there last night but...

"Morning Katt."

"Morning Fox."

Fox walked into the kitchen, then stopped, turned slowly, and stared. "Katt?"

"Fox?"

Fox's whole body flushed red. He took a deep breath, averted his eyes, and went back upstairs. He opened the door to Falco's room and shook the avian. At the same moment the avian's alarm went off. His clock was wrong.

"What?"

"Santa came."

"Heck yeah." Falco got up and slapped Fox on the back. "Merry Christmas. Why are you blushing? Krystal show you somethin'?"

"Just go downstairs. And please, be decent."

"Yeah. I'm always decent."

Fox shook his head, wondering how the pink feline had gotten in the house. He looked at Falco's clock again and noticed a single blue hair stuck in one of the buttons. He smiled. Well, that made more sense.

"Katt!"

Fox's smile widened at the exclamation from downstairs. He walked out of Falco's room and caught Slippy and Krystal coming out of their own rooms. "Give them a minute," Fox said. "Also, Krys?"

"Yes Fox?"

"Nice job."

Krystal wagged her tail. "I suppose if I hadn't called her she would have broken in herself."

"It wouldn't be the first time," Fox told her.

"Really?"

Fox's tail wagged in sync with hers. "She does this every year."

"Yo Fox!"

Fox turned to see Falco carrying Katt bridal style. The pink feline was purring like mad. "What?" Fox started to blush again, and he knew Slippy and Krystal were looking anywhere but in the couple's direction.

"Tell Peppy I'mma be late, okay?"

"Right." Fox shook his head. "Merry Christmas you two."

"Ho ho ho," Katt crooned.

/\/\/\/\

Sitting around the Christmas tree at Peppy's house, Krystal sipped at a hot mug of tea, her tail wagging in slow contentment. Everyone had been opened presents now that Falco and Katt had arrived. Katt was wearing some of Falco's clothes. No one had bothered to mention it, just like no one had bothered to mention the way the two of them were glowing and cuddling.

"Ah ha, here we go," Fox said. He was playing Santa. "This is the last one gang." He stepped over to her and handed her a beautifully wrapped box. She looked up at him and smiled at the sight of the Santa hat on his head. She'd bought that with her admittedly limited funds.

"Who is it from?" Krystal asked.

"Me." Fox blushed a little.

Krystal blushed too, and a little flutter passed through her stomach. She took the box and started to gently peel away the wrapping paper.

Peppy's wife Vivian returned with a tray of cookies and pastries. Krystal was momentarily distracted by the smell, but she quickly refocused on the gift in front of her.

When the last of the wrapping paper was gone she found a wooden box with her name embossed on it.

"Open it," Fox encouraged her. He sat down next to her.

She shifted so she was facing him, then opened the box and pulled out a small device. It had a needle inside of it. "A compass?"

"From about five centuries ago," Fox said. "I hope it keeps you pointed in the right direction." He was blushing, and she could tell he was hoping that his present hadn't bombed.

She stared at it, and tears came to her eyes. Her people believed in the power of symbols. A gift like this, when she had been feeling so lost, when she had been lost for so long...a tear dropped from her eye. She looked up, and she saw that the needle was pointing straight at Fox. Smiling she wrapped her arms around him in a hug and whispered, "I know it will."

* * *

A/N: Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone! I hope you all have a great time with family, friends, or whoever else you might be spending time with this month. And for those with finals, I hope this helps destress a bit! Until next time...

-gEnerAl WhItefUr


End file.
